


Twin Flames

by tellyoscar



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:42:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29640393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tellyoscar/pseuds/tellyoscar
Summary: Love is a complicated, yet simple emotion. Iris West is caught up in the complications of love as she returns home to Central City and those she left behind.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Iris West
Comments: 10
Kudos: 41





	1. Coming Home

**CHAPTER 1**

* * *

Love is an emotion that is loud in its quietness. Sometimes its presence is not apparent until its absence sucks all the oxygen out of a person. It doesn’t feel so quiet then.

For the first time in a long time, Iris West was not consumed by that choking and stifling emotion that comes with lost love. As she crossed the bridge, entering Central City, she forced her racing mind to stop. She took a deep breath, relaxing her hand on the steering wheel. She imagined walking up the stone steps of her childhood home for the first time in months.

From reports she’d heard, this Central City was not the same as the one she left. Stories of metahumans, abnormal weather occurrences and unexplained disasters filled the news cycle. Part of her wished she was still there to be in the thick of things. With her budding journalism career, Central City would have been the place to be, but she tried not to dwell too much on the what ifs.

Instead, Iris started envisioning all the familiar sights and scents that would greet her as she entered her old home. Her father had called her that morning. He had taken a few days off from work. She could hear the relief and hope in his voice. Things had finally taken a turn for the better.

The sun glinted against the ring on her left hand, drawing her mind away from home and back to Starling City. The choking feeling slowly crept back in and she took a deep, pained breath. “Why did I ever go over there?” She muttered to herself.

She soon found herself in her old neighborhood, all the familiar houses passing her by as she made her way home. She imagined the smiling faces that would greet her and the warm embraces she would soon be wrapped in.

She pulled into the driveway, stepping out of her car and stepping onto the gravelly ground. She looked up at the large tree in front of the house, her travelling back to one Spring afternoon with her father, her best friend and a camera. Happier times. Well, as happy as those times could be given the circumstances. Her best friend, Barry Allen, had lost both parents months before, but that day was a happy respite from all the gloom that seemed to follow him.

She glanced down at the ring on her left hand, examining it idly. It suddenly felt as if it weighed a ton. She didn’t know why she did it, but she slipped the piece of jewelry off her finger, dropping it into a small inner pocket of her bag.

Iris stood on the sidewalk, letting the cool afternoon breeze move around her as all the memories came back. She remembered something Barry told her once. He always liked sharing fun facts from his vast knowledge with her. They were lying on a blanket in the backyard eating sandwiches and watching the sky, when he started talking about how scent, emotion, and memories were intertwined.

The scent of peanut butter and jelly brought back specific memories of his mother. He gave her some other examples as well.

Now, standing under their tree outside the old house in the fall afternoon brought back specific memories of that day.

As she walked up the steps, the front door flew open and there stood Joe West. “Baby girl,” her father rasped, a smile spreading across his face.

She all but ran into her father’s embrace, laying her head on his shoulder and allowing herself to share his relief. “Where is he?” She asked, when they pulled away, her eyes darting into the house behind him. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine,” Joe said. “More than fine. It feels like a miracle.”

“Is he here,” she asked, walking past him, into the house.

“Barry’s not here.”

“He’s still there?” She asked, as worry filled her. “I thought…”

“Iris, calm down,” Joe’s deep soothing voice said. “They’re just running some extra tests. There’s something up with Barry, but Dr. Wells and the others are going to figure it all out. They say it’s nothing to worry about, okay?”

She nodded, looking around the room. It was exactly as she left it. Not that she expected much to change, but it was nice to be around the familiar.

“Want to go sit down and catch up?” Joe suggested, already walking toward the kitchen.

She sat down at the kitchen table as her father poured them something to drink. “He’s been asking about you,” Joe said, as he placed a mug in front of Iris and sat down opposite her.

She stared down at the mug, rubbing her index finger around the rim, She didn’t meet his eyes. “What did you tell him?”

“The truth,” he replied. “You moved to Starling City for your new job.”

Iris’s eyes darted up as she brought the mug to her lips. “That’s all?”

He paused. “Was there something else I was supposed to share?”

Her engagement is what came to mind, but it wasn’t as if she told him she was engaged. Ever since the proposal, it felt as if she was walking around in a drunken stupor and it wasn’t the kind. She hated when she started getting extremely philosophical and questing the meaning and existence of everything from love to the meaning of life.

Iris took a deep breath, not addressing the question. “So, is he moving around? Is he disoriented? Can he walk?”

“Yes, no, and yes.” Joe shook his head in disbelief. “It’s amazing. It’s like nothing happened to him. He even gained muscle despite the fact that he’s been lying in a bed for months.”

“Wow.” She mulled over his words in her head. “Is that why they’re still keeping him. That actually sounds a little strange given the circumstances.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, not needing words to enjoy each other’s company. “Dad, can I ask you something completely unrelated?”

“What is it Iris?”

She opened her mouth to speak, trying to find the words she wanted to say. Iris West never had much trouble expressing herself, but she had been finding that to be the case quite often lately. She knew how she felt, but she struggled to put it into words, so she started with something easy.

“Eddie asked me to marry him.”

The night that Eddie proposed came back to mind. They were at a beautiful restaurant dining over exquisite food. When they had finished their meal the waiter came with what she had thought would be dessert, but instead she saw a pale blue Tiffany box when he lifted the silver plate cover. All eyes were on them as he got down on one knee. She heard herself saying yes, despite the conflicting thoughts racing through her mind.

Joe started at her, his face expressionless, and she wondered what was going through his mind. “I figured. He took a trip over to ask for my blessing.”

“Yeah…”

“I told him I couldn’t give it.”

Iris’ eyes shot up to her father’s. “You did?” She asked pointedly. “Why?”

He glanced down at her hands, which were gripping her mug. “For the same reason you’re not wearing a ring.” Joe sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Iris I’ll tell you what I have always told you and Barry. Lead your life and make your own choices, but make sure that when you make those choices you do it with your heart. And sometimes your soul might choose for you.”

She pressed her lips together in a slight grimace, still struggling to find the right words. She pulled in a deep breath, slowly releasing. “I said yes,” she started. “I said yes, but I didn’t mean yes and now…” she shrugged. “I don’t know. We haven’t even moved in together. I just feel terrible. Maybe I just have the jitters or early cold feet.”

“Sounds like you’re in a mess.” He took a gulp from his cup. “Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t have encouraged you to move over there.”

Leaving for Starling City while Barry was in a lightning strike induced coma was not a decision she took lightly. She would spend hours at his bedside and her days began to revolve solely around Barry. When she finished up her dissertation and internship and the offer came, she had a difficult decision to make. Her father was the one who encouraged her to seize the opportunity.

She did and at first, things were okay. There was a little less fear in her life. She feared losing Barry a little less. It was as if they were both off on separate vacations and they would meet up again when it was over. The physical distance didn’t seem as far as the distance between them when she sat at his bedside, receiving little indication that he was anywhere near.

A playful smile played on her lips. “I forgot about those encouraging words. Well, if I screw things up any more I’m blaming you.”

“I just didn’t want you to give up.”

“I know,” she smiled. “I didn’t want me to give up either.”

Joe glanced down at his watch. “Now’s about a good time to head over to Star Labs.”

She could feel the anticipation building within her. “It’s a good thing we decided to move him there. Obviously they’re doing something right over there.”

Joe sighed, nodding his head. “It’s like they’ve done the impossible.”


	2. Lightning Powers

Chapter 2

Iris remembered the night she learned of Barry’s accident. She remembered the terror she felt as she rushed to the hospital to find him unresponsive. She felt a sense of déjà vu as she and her father walked down the wide empty hallway leading to the area of Star Labs where Barry Allen was being kept for observation. Everything in the building was pale with clean white lines. It was both cold and calming.

A contradiction.

She saw him before he saw her. She expected to see him in a hospital bed, but there he was standing across the room from her, surrounded by computers and other expensive looking machinery.

He seemed taller than she remembered, towering over the wheelchair bound Dr. Wells and the Star Labs Biomedical engineer, Cisco Ramon. She heard the quick cadence of his voice as he animatedly spoke to the two men.

“Mr. Allen, it appears you have some visitors,” Dr. Wells said, tilting his head in their direction with a smirk.

Barry spun around and he wore a look of confusion that morphed into a breathtaking grin. “Iris,” he rasped, bounding toward her. Iris felt herself being lifted into the air and spun around as he wrapped her in his warm embrace.

Time seemed to stop as her body melted into his form as she pressed against his firm chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat. He drew her closer and she felt her body shake, sobs escaping her as she cried for all the missed time.

“Oh my God! Barry I can’t believe it’s you,” she gasped, touching her fingers against his jaw. “You’re here. You’re awake.”

“I’m awake.” His eyes glinted as he looked down at her, examining her face. There were a million words in his eyes. His thumbs, wiped away her flowing tears.

Iris bit her lip, happy to see him up and smiling. Happy to see him at all.

“I drove back to Central City as soon as I could. I know you’ve been awake for a few days, but...”

His brow furrowed. He stepped back but he didn’t let go of her. His hands remained on her arms “Drove back?”

“I...guess Joe didn’t tell you.” She shot a look in her father’s direction with narrowed eyes. “I moved a few months ago for work. You know I would have been here within the first hour if I was close by.”

“I know. So, things are going well with Journalism? If you moved.”

“Yeah, thanks to your suggestion. There’s been some hard hitting pieces on Big Belly Burger cover ups,” she joked, making him laugh as well. “I still can’t believe you’re back. You were so…”

“Out of it,” she heard the voice of Harrison Wells finish for her, effectively breaking them out of their reunion bubble.

The man who saved Barry’s life wore an inscrutable expression as he watched the pair. There was something about his personality—what little she saw of it— that was constantly contradictory. He was stand-of fish yet open, nonchalant yet over analyzing. He didn’t seem like the type to form emotional attachments, though he appeared to be taken with Barry Allen from the start.

“Oh I’m so sorry,” she apologized for not offering a greeting to the rest of the room. “I completely ignored all of you. Hello again Dr Wells.” She looked over at the other two scientists in the room. “Cisco. Dr. Snow. It’s great to see all of you again. Under much better circumstances too.”

Harrison nodded. “Likewise Miss West.”

“Please, call me Caitlin.”

“So, when will Barry be free to go,” asked Joe. “How does everything look now after all the tests you ran?”

“Physically, Barry is in perfect health,” answered Caitlin Snow slowly. Her tone made it sound like there was more.

“Well that’s great,” said Iris, cautiously. “So he can leave today?”

“Wellll….” Cisco’s eyes darted nervously between Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Barry. “That’s kind of the issue. He’s been immobile in a hospital bed for months.”

Iris looked at Barry who was standing tall with no problem. “So...he’s going to need physical therapy?”

Caitlin jumped in to clarify. “Barry was in a coma for months. Well almost a year, really. There should have been some confusion, disorientation, and short-term memory issues. That’s just the mental and psychological part, but we already knew that he showed no signs of brain injury despite being in a comatose state. As for the physical, he shouldn’t have been able to get out of bed so quickly. I would normally expect some muscular atrophy at least, but he’s probably healthier than before the lightning struck him.”

“That’s why we were observing him,” Dr. Wells explained. “Barry Allen is a Scientific anomaly.”

 _Scientific anomaly_. He said the words with reverence.

Barry shifted nervously. “Yeah, there’s something else I think you and Joe should know,” he said. His eyes locked with Dr. Wells and for a moment they appeared to be communicated silently. The older man gave a slight nod. “I’ve gained an inexplicable ability.”

“Ability?” Iris looked at her father who looked just as confused as she did. She let out a humorless laugh. “What? You gained lightning powers from getting struck by a radioactive lightning bolt or something? Are we going to have to call you Lightning-Man?”

She was joking, but nobody laughed.

“Oh God, you don’t have lightning powers, do you?” She barely heard her own voice as she asked the seemingly implausible question.

Cisco took a bit of red licorice. “Close, but not quite. That would actually be pretty cool though now that I think about it.”

Iris had heard about the unexplained and seemingly supernatural phenomena that had begun plaguing Central City in recent weeks. There was some hesitancy to report them as such, but the whispers were there. There were suggestions in some circles that it was all connected to the particle accelerator explosion, but nothing concrete connected the cases. There was a disappearing bank robber, the woman who could control metal and hybrid people. It all sounded like something out of a comic book.

Joe was waiting for an explanation. “Barry?”

“I can show you guys more than I can explain it,” he said, letting go of Iris’s hand and breaking physical contact for the first time since she entered the room.

One second he was standing in front of her and the next she saw a flash of yellow light, felt a blast of air, and Barry disappeared before her eyes. “What the hell?” She gasped, spinning around to face Dr. Wells who was carefully observing her reaction. “What did you do to him?”

Before the man could respond Barry reappeared with a pendant—a little silver flower hanging on a silver chain—that used to hang on her rearview mirror. He dropped the decoration into her palm along with her keys.

“I wish I could explain how this happened, but we were just as surprised by Mr. Allen’s abilities as you are now Miss West.”

“I need to sit down and process this,” Joe said, staring at Barry with wide eyes as he found a chair across the room. “I leave for a few hours and you’re pulling disappearing acts on me and teleporting things.”

“Actually, it’s not exactly a disappearing act,” said Cisco. “He’s just moving faster than your eyes can see.”

“He simply ran to your car and back, Miss West.”

“This day,” she murmured, feeling overwhelmed as she looked up at the ceiling. “I’m guessing we’re not going to tell anyone about this. He’s like them isn’t he? The people with the strange abilities.”

“Meta-humans,” said Dr. Wells. She had never heard that particular term before. “And yes, we’re not going to share the details of Mr. Allen’s abilities with anyone outside of this room. Not until we understand what these abilities are. For his safety, this has to remain between us. Not everyone has good intentions.”

“How can this even be a thing?”

Barry placed a comforting hand on Iris’s shoulder, looking over at Joe. “Guys, I’m just as confused and surprised by all of this as you are.”

“We have barely begun to understand what Mr. Allen’s body is capable of. We’ll have to continue running tests and observing him until we get to the bottom of all of this, but in the meantime he can certainly return to some normalcy.”

“Did you know what he could do?” They all turned to Joe, who was now standing. “When you came to the hospital and asked if you could take him, did you know?”

Harrison’s lips turned up into a small smile. He appeared to be gathering his thoughts. “I had my suspicions that Mr. Allen was affected in some way. Did I know the exact details? No.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” asked Iris. She wondered what could have brought on those suspicions. “When you asked us to bring him here.”

“Would you have believed me?”

“No,” she admitted. “I don’t think I would have. I barely believe what I just saw, but Barry has always said that sometimes we have to believe in the impossible.”

“Was this because of your Particle Accelerator?” asked Joe, his eyes never leaving the mysterious doctor.

“I’ve considered it as a real possibility, Mr. West,” replied Dr. Wells. “It hasn’t escaped my notice that my failure with the accelerator has caused immense damage to this city. I try to be an honorable man, so I make it my business to right whatever wrongs I may have caused. Mr. Allen is a bright young man with a promising future and I feel responsible for making sure that no harm comes to him because of anything I did.”

“That’s actually really nice of you,” said Iris, beginning to understand Dr. Wells’ perspective. He wanted to keep Barry safe, just like her and her father. He had grown to care about Barry.

**~T~~F~**

* * *

“So tell me about Starling City.”

Iris, Barry, and Joe were seated around the dining room table at the West house scruffiness down some generous helpings of Grandma Esther's famous noodles.

“There’s really not much to tell,” said Iris, not wanting to discuss that particular topic since it would only bring her dreaded engagement back to the forefront of her mind. “Work is alright and the novelty of it all was nice in the beginning, but everything just seems so mundane these days.”

Joe cleared his throat avoiding eye contact with Iris. She scowled, knowing what he was thinking.

Iris bit the inside of her cheek. She was glad Eddie didn't accompany her back to Central City. He had offered to come along to meet her father and offer emotional support for her as she dealt with her childhood best friend waking up from a coma.

He visited her at her office the day before. They had lunch together at a nearby cafe. He wished her a safe trip, told her to enjoy herself and informed her that he had another proposal for her when she returned. It was supposed to be a grand surprise.

She poured herself some more wine, wanting to scream.

“So, how long are you in town for?” asked Barry.

“A week.”

“Well I’d better make the most of this week then. Lots of catching up to do.”

Iris shrugged. “With your newfound _abilities_ maybe you can speed on over anytime you want to visit. The trip will take minutes instead of hours.”

“Wow, I got an invite.”

“Anything for my best friend.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “But really, the invite is for selfish reasons. I just want company and I missed you Bear.”

“I missed you too.”

Iris felt her cheeks heating up. “You were basically asleep, so isn’t it like I’ve been gone for a few days.”

“A few days is a long time too.”

“Well, I for one missed the both of you,” Joe interjected. “This house hasn’t been the same without the two of you here.”

Barry patted Joe on the shoulder. “But we’re back now like the millennials we are. Thanks for dinner by the way. Grandma Esther was a culinary genius.”

“Amen,” agreed Iris. “We’ve got to try making her yams again. Those were so freaking good. Unwashed skillet and all.”

“I’m washing my skillet though,” quipped Joe.

“Not arguing with you on that one,” laughed Barry.

They continued reminiscing on times with Grandma Esther and her unique recipes until a more heavy subject came up.

Barry’s father.

Henry Allen was currently serving time in Iron Heights Penitentiary for what Barry believed was a wrongful conviction for his mother’s murder. Since his mother’s death and his father’s arrest, the West house became Barry’s new home.

“I’m thinking about going up to visit him either tomorrow or the day after. I want him to know I’m alright,” said Barry. “But, for the time being, I think it’s best if he didn’t know about what I can do.”

“Well, Dr. Wells did say that it would be best to keep it between us until we figure it out. I don’t your dad would tell anyone, but you never know who’s listening.”

“Tell Henry I said hello,” Joe said as he rose to clear the table.

“We can do that Joe,” Barry said, standing to help gather the plates. “You _did_ do all of the cooking after all.”

“I helped,” protested Iris as she stood to help as well. “Those onions didn’t chop themselves. I have battle scars.”

Joe chuckled at his daughter’s dramatics. “Well if you two have got this, I think I’m going to go ahead and turn in for the night.”

“Already?” Iris asked, never knowing her father to be one to retire early.

Joe groaned, rubbing his hand across his face. “I’ve had a rough couple of days. Exhausted doesn’t begin to describe how I’m feeling right now.”

Iris gave her father a sympathetic smile. “Alright. Night Dad.”

“Goodnight guys.”

The tension between Iris and Barry seemed to grow tenfold once Joe was out of the kitchen and all they were doing was clearing dishes. Iris became lost in her own mind, trying to concentrate on their task while being hyper aware of every minuscule movement that Barry made next to her.

“Iris?” She didn’t realize he had been calling her name for some time.

“Uh...oh sorry I was just...thinking.”

Barry laughed nervously. “Yeah I uh…” he rubbed the back of his neck, fidgeting with his hands. “I said this was nice. Reminded me of when we were little.”

“Just like old times,” she sighed. “So tell me about your scientist friends. You had a couple of days to get to know them. What’s Dr. Wells and the others like?”

“I like them. Cisco’s really funny and Dr. Wells is very...protective.”

They finished cleaning up quickly with Barry showing off his newfound abilities at the end. Their movement around the familiar surroundings was effortless. Their interactions were littered with smiles and an electrifying unspoken attraction.

When they were finished, he led the way out of the kitchen and to _their_ spot on the front steps. It was where they went whenever they felt like talking or just enjoying each other’s silent company. Their footsteps were in perfect synchrony as they stepped outside and took their seats. They sat closely together, their hands resting between them on the steps, the slightest movement would make their fingers touch.

“I really missed the smell of this place,” she said, taking a deep breath. “And the quiet.”

“You must live in the heart of the city.”

“Yeah,” she said, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. “No place like home, though.”

She felt his fingers move, brushing against the tip of hers, before he took her hand in his. Her skin ignited at his touch and she found herself smiling as she turned to look at him, losing herself in his eyes. With such a simple and innocent touch, she felt an inexplicable wholeness.

She wondered if he felt what she felt. Whenever they were apart, it was like part of herself was missing and the closer he is, the more whole she feels. Their gaze locked and for a moment she was locked in his bright eyes as he slowly leaned toward her.

“I’m dating someone,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “In Starling City.”

He sighed, pulling back to look at her. He didn’t look surprised. There was slight disappointment, behind the carefully placed smile he wore to hide his true feelings, but no surprise. It was almost as if he already knew. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

She released a breath she had been holding. “He asked me to marry him.”


	3. Fiancé?

Iris waited for Barry to say something. 

Anything.

Barry stared at her with an unreadable expression. Her natural talkative instinct was to fill the heavy silence. She drew her shoulders up, tucking her elbows into her sides. She wished she didn’t have to be in such a position. She wished things were simpler like in the days before his accident.

The night air suddenly felt chilly and she wound her arms around herself.

“I fall asleep for nine months and I wake up to a whole new world,” he finally joked, his eyes darting toward her left hand. “Congratulations Iris. If you’re happy, I’m happy and this sounds like...happy news.”

Iris forced a smile, feeling conflicted. Was she happy? She didn't think she was unhappy, but she wasn’t sure that happiness was the emotion she felt. “Thanks.”

He must have recognized the dejectedness in her reply. “What’s wrong? I really am happy for you. I promise. I want nothing more than to see you happy. I love you and I want you to be loved.”

“No, no. It’s not you. I’m still trying to process my engagement I guess.” She winced as she realized how that sounded. She thought of Eddie and the text message she received from him on the way back from Star Labs. In all the bustle of Barry finally being awake and home, she had forgotten to read it, much less respond to it.

Barry hummed, nodding his head. He was still deep in thought. He reached over, taking her left hand in his. “You know, usually when someone gets engaged they’re pretty ecstatic. Not that I have a ton of experience with engagements or anything, but I wouldn’t think there’s much to process. Did the proposal not go well?”

“No, it was fine. It was at a really great restaurant. He got down on one knee and everything. Everybody was staring at us and they applauded after I said yes.”

“Ahh, one of those,” he chuckled, referring to popping the question in a public place. She would always tell him that she found public proposals in front of strangers to be a little manipulative. It puts the proposee under too much pressure to avoid the potentially negative judgement of onlookers. A response of “no” to the weighted question would make the proposee seem heartless.

He tapped the ring finger of her left hand as he held it closer to himself, carefully observing. “No ring?”

“Uh…” she stared down at the bare ring finger on left hand as if expecting to find the offending piece of jewelry there. “It’s inside. It...came off. And I really am trying to process it still. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“What’s his name?” He was still playing with her ring finger, rubbing his fingers against the spot her missing ring used to be.

“Eddie. Eddie Thawne,” she said, thinking back to their first meeting at her favorite coffee shop. “He’s a detective and he’s a really nice guy.”

Eddie Thawne was a nice guy. When he first asked her out she declined, but he remained persistent in his quest to capture her attention. He said it was her tenacity that attracted him. He believed they were both people who knew what they wanted and went for it. 

On their first date, she was unsure. She hadn’t been particularly interested in dating since she had just arrived in a new city, but their date went surprisingly well. He made good conversation and he was very doting.

“So, I take it Joe gave his blessing?” Barry quirked his brow. “You know how much he likes telling that story about Francine’s dad.”

Iris let out a heavy sigh, thinking about how much of a mess the whole situation was turning out to be. She had a feeling it would only get worse. “No, he’s never even met Eddie in person. We were actually supposed to come visit in a few weeks, but then you woke up and I had to come. I couldn’t miss seeing you.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think this Detective Eddie Thawne is the luckiest man in the world.”

She nudged his knee with hers, throwing an arm around his shoulder like old times. “Probably doesn’t beat being the fastest man in the world Mr. Allen.” She tried to mimic the whispery and unnecessarily formal voice of the mysterious Doctor Wells. AShe couldn’t help but find the man to be a little strange.

He laughed and wrapped an arm around her, appreciating the closeness. “At least this Eddie knows how his lucky powers work.”

“As long as the fastest man uses those powers for good once he figures it out, he’ll always be the greatest to me,” she said, wanting to get away from the subject of her engagement. 

“Thanks I’m flattered,” Barry chuckled, not taking her light hearted tone too seriously even though she was completely serious. “Anyway, it’s pretty late.” He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I know I’ve been asleep for almost a year, but all that sleep really takes the energy out of a guy.”

He didn’t look tired, but she didn’t point that out. She knew him too well. “Well I don’t want to hinder your recovery, so how about we turn in.”

They trudged up the stairs to the second floor in relative silence. When they reached the second floor, they both paused in front of their respective childhood bedrooms, each one staring at the other.

“Finally back to this place for the first time after college,” Barry said, looking at the closed door. They had moved his things out of his apartment when his prognosis did not seem too promising. There didn’t seem to be much point in paying for an apartment with no occupant.

“It’s been a while for me as well.”

Barry held her gaze for a while and it seemed as if he wanted to say something, but decided against it. “Goodnight, Iris.”

“Goodnight, Bear. See you tomorrow.”

Iris opened the door behind her, slipping into her old room. She flipped on the light taking in the room around her; the violet walls, her wooden desk in front of the window. Her father had set out fresh sheets on her bed and as she stepped further into the room, running her hand against the wooden headboard, she imagined Barry on the other side of the wall doing the same.

Sleep did not come easily to Iris. As she rested in her bed, awaiting dreams she wouldn’t remember, she stared at the wall separating her from Barry, a million thoughts rushing through her mind. Many of which she tried desperately to suppress because if she allowed herself to dwell on them, she would come to the conclusion that she made a mistake and was about to make an even bigger one and no matter what she did, hearts would be broken.

* * *

**~T~~F~**

Barry was already in the kitchen when she went downstairs the next morning. It felt strangely exhilarating to see him mobile. He changed since being struck by lightning and that change extended beyond his newfound powers. He seemed larger and much more sure of himself than before. His features grew even more handsome and beauty and gentleness seemed to radiate from his soul.

The day he woke up, she felt drawn to her home in Central City in a way that she had never been in her months away. It was as if a magnet was pulling her away.

Then she received that call from Joe and it all fell into place.

Perhaps being back home after months away was making her nostalgic. Everything she saw, touched and smelled in this house was connected to a memory of Barry. It was a testament to the deep and profound connection they shared. Just being around him made her feel like there was live electricity coursing between them. 

“Morning!” He called out when she entered. He was moving quickly around the kitchen as he whipped up pancakes, bacon and anything else a person could want for breakfast.

“Morning Bear,” she answered, a smile forming on her lips. “That’s a lot of food. Are you expecting guests for breakfast or something? Where’s Dad?”

“I just woke up and I was extremely hungry. Felt like I hadn’t eaten in years.” He handed her a plate, heaping two pancakes onto it. “Joe already left for work. He’s already taken off so much time.”

Iris sat down, taking a bite of her breakfast as she watched Barry juggle his overflowing plate. “There’s no way, you’re going to eat all that. Remember what happened when you tried to eat too much of Grandma Esther’s Mac and Cheese?”

His eyes bounced between the plate and Iris, he smiled mischievously. “I probably won’t eat it all, but I’ll try. It really feels like I’m starving though.”

“Good luck with that,” she sang, taking a sip of orange juice. “So, what are we going to do today? We have a full day. Just the two of us.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I promised Dr. Wells that I would stop by Star Labs later because he seems to think that I’ll grow a third arm if I stay away too long, but I don’t have any other plans otherwise. I haven’t exactly been socializing much over the past few months. Maybe I might stop by the precinct. Joe said they never permanently filled my position.”

“Well I’m sure there’s plenty of time for that. You only recently woke up so I’m sure they’d love for you to fully recuperate before going back. Doctor Wells said there might be long term effects that we’re not seeing yet.”

“I feel fine,” he assured her. “Better than fine actually.”

He looked fine too. Iris' thoughts were still in a tangled state. She had never felt so conflicted in her life and the worst part was that she wasn’t even sure what she was conflicted about. Or perhaps she didn’t want to admit it to herself. It was easier to pretend she didn’t know what was bothering her.

Her mind drifted back to her exchange with Barry the night before. She remembered the spark she felt when their lips almost touched. If she had let it happen, it wouldn’t have been the first time that their lips locked. She recognized the longing feeling that filled her. It was a feeling that was there much longer than she was willing to admit now that she was a newly engaged woman.

She set down her fork, remembering the text message from Eddie that she had yet to read. She was so caught up in her own mind that she never even picked up her phone when she went up to her room. She couldn’t even remember where she left it.

“What’s wrong?” asked Barry, noting the change in her expression. He always noticed. They would often joke that they had a psychic connection. They knew each other better than anyone else knew them individually. They were best friends after all.

“I can’t remember where I left my phone. I was so tired yesterday, I didn’t even check it when we got back.” She didn’t mention that it took her hours to fall asleep.

“Usually I’m the one who loses things,” he chuckled. “But a lost phone can’t be a good thing for a reporter, can it? Leads to follow up on and all that.”

“Work better had not been calling me,” she said. “I already told them I’m not taking calls for the next few days or so. They can handle a week without me. Besides, I’ve been considering leaving the paper.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “You have? Isn’t this like a dream opportunity?”

“I guess.” She shrugged. “It would be more of a dream if I was given more than small fluff pieces though. I bring up new pieces and ideas to my editor and he just shuts down everything I try to contribute. It gets a little frustrating sometimes. I’ve been doing some investigative pieces on my own in hopes that he will recognize what I can do, but he’s not budging. That’s actually how I met Eddie. I was chasing a story.”

“Sounds like your boss is an asshole.”

Iris groaned, rolling her eyes at the mere thought of the man. “He really is. He’s the definition of asshole. It doesn’t get worse than him. Eddie said I should stick it out, but I don’t know. ” She glanced at Barry’s almost empty plate. “I can’t believe you ate all that. You better hope you don’t puke when you’re speed running later. I’m sure they’re going to have you running around that lab like a lab rat.”

“Fastest lab rat alive,” he quipped. “How is Starling City otherwise?”

“It’s nice. You should visit me sometime. That would be fun.” She stood up, taking her plate to the sink. 

“I could meet the fiancé,” he said dryly.

“You know, I think I might have left my phone in the car.”

Iris saw a flash of yellow in her periphery and felt a blast of air behind her and when she turned around to see what it was, Barry was standing behind her, holding out her phone. “Thanks Bear. Hey, do you want to take a walk or something when we finish up with these dishes? I could use some fresh air.”

“Sure.”

She pointed to her phone. “I’ll just go ahead and…I have a few—”

“Yeah, yeah.”

She checked her phone as she left the kitchen, finding the message from Eddie. She noticed she had three missed calls from him as she sat on the bottom step that led upstairs to the bedrooms. 

**_Did you make it back okay? How is the family? I’m sure you must be very busy with everything._ **

Iris sighed, rubbing her forehead. She felt bad for not calling when she arrived, but it had honestly slipped her mind. She considered calling, but it was a work day so she started to type a quick reply to let him know that she made it back and she’s fine instead.

“Alright, dishes are all done thanks to my new powers,” Barry announced coming out of the kitchen with a bright grin on his face. “I’m gonna go get changed and then we can go okay?”

Her face morphed into a grin to mast her his. “Yeah, I should probably go get ready too. I am definitely not dressed for walking,” she said looking down at her flannel pants. She placed her phone down on the table by the front door, inadvertently leaving the text message unsent.

As she ascended the stairs, her phone started vibrating. Eddie’s name and picture—one Iris took after their first date—popping up on the screen, unseen by Iris.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think.


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